First baby born in Britain after womb transplant from deceased donor
A woman was born without a uterus and learned in her teenage years that she would never be able to have children, but thanks to an organ transplant from a deceased donor, she was able to carry and give birth to her own son. Details are provided by BBC.
Grace Bell with her son. Video screenshot: BBCRadioKent / X
The boy, Hugo, was born shortly before Christmas 2025 in a London hospital. His mother, Grace Bell, has Mayer-Rokitansky-Küster-Hauser (MRKH) syndrome — a rare congenital developmental anomaly in which a functional uterus is absent, although the ovaries develop normally. In the UK, this condition affects approximately one in 5,000 women.
Bell learned at 16 that she would not be able to carry a child. Together with her partner Steve Powell, they considered surrogacy, but hoped that the possibility of a uterine transplant would arise. And in 2024, such a chance appeared: a donor was found, and doctors announced that a transplant was possible.
The operation lasted about 10 hours. Several months after the transplant, the couple underwent an in vitro fertilization (IVF) procedure, after which the embryo was transferred to the transplanted uterus. The pregnancy proceeded under medical supervision.
According to Grace, when she first saw her son after birth, it seemed like "a true miracle." The boy's parents publicly thanked the donor's family for "an incredible gift." The parents of the deceased woman, who wished to remain anonymous, stated that they felt "immense pride" in their daughter's legacy.
As the BBC notes, the UK operates on a principle of "opt-out" consent for organ donation: if a person has not explicitly refused in advance, it is assumed after death that they agree to be a donor. However, a uterine transplant requires separate consent from the deceased's family. In addition to the uterus, doctors transplanted five other organs from the donor to four people.
This operation is one of ten being conducted as part of a clinical study in the UK. Three transplants have already taken place, but this particular birth marks the first case of a baby being born after a uterus transplant from a deceased donor.
Grace Bell from Kent and was born with out a vabile uterus, says her little boy Hugo, who is now 10 weeks old, is "simply a miracle".
More here: https://t.co/nMgx67I7XV pic.twitter.com/4RdjmE5FJ9
Earlier in 2025, a girl was born in the country after a uterus transplant from a living donor — the organ was donated by the mother's older sister.
If the couple decides to have another child, the transplanted uterus is planned to be removed so that the woman does not have to take immunosuppressants for the rest of her life, which prevent organ rejection.
Doctors emphasize that a child born after such an operation has no genetic connection to the donor, as the embryo is created using the cells of the biological parents.
More than 100 uterus transplants have been performed worldwide, after which more than 70 healthy babies have been born. British doctors hope that in the future, this procedure will become an approved treatment method for women who were born without a uterus or lost it due to other reasons.
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